1,200 Sandwiches

Shima 0 comments 12.10.2015

Every Monday, I am sharing a ‪#‎MCM (Man crush Monday) of a local resident of the South Bay to bring awareness to those making a difference in our community.

Today’s #MCM title belongs to Herman Villoria, who has spent 20+ years feeding the homeless in Los Angeles EVERY Saturday!

Herman Villoria was born in Bogota, Colombia. His parents had nine children in total, and he was the sixth child. He migrated to the U.S. in January of 1965 and never got married or had children. However, he was fortunate to have 22 nieces and nephews which he loves dearly and for this reason, never felt as though he missed out.

Today, Herman works for the Boeing Company in El Segundo as a Tool Crib Lead. He has been working with Boeing for over 26 years. Outside of spending time with his family and working, Herman works with the Missionary Brothers of Charity as a volunteer every Saturday.

Often, many people begin organizations or goals only to give up when progress is not seen quick enough. Herman has proven his loyalty to the Missionary by committing his weekends, no matter the rain or sunshine.

The Missionaries of Charity Brothers was founded in 1963 by Mother Teresa in hopes of feeding the homeless in order to bring to light the passage ‘Matthew 25: 36-4’ from the Bible. Herman has been with the missionary since 1988.

The Missionary is ran by missionary brothers and volunteers who come on Saturday to help prepare 1200 sandwiches, nearly 50 gallons of ice tea and pastries. The sandwiches are prepared at the home of the Missionary in L.A. and then volunteers split into seven different routes and distribute the items through the streets of Los Angeles to the homeless.

According to Herman, “We reach out to those who are the poorest of the poor. Most of our routes are walking and some are driving. We get anywhere from 12 to 25 volunteers each week, on holidays we see many volunteers. This is when people want to help.” Despite many charities which have monthly or even annual events, the Missionaries of Charity Brothers meets every Saturday- rain or shine!

The volunteers do not preach to the people about mother Teresa for she “said not by words but by our example,” Herman explains. He has found that the people on the street are very grateful. They often see the same people since they go to the same areas and they know they are coming.

In order to create the items for the homeless, the missionary relies on donations which often comes from those who know about the cause. Donations are needed to supply items such as ham, cheese, bread, bread bags, ice tea, cookies and cups. Herman explains that people can simply help by donating gallon containers of mustard, sandwich bags, or cookies. In addition, gift cards to Smart and Final will aid in purchasing these items.

Herman’s weekly schedule for Saturday is as follows:

1.Leave his house at 8:30 to get to the Brothers and help prepare the food to be taken out to the streets.

2. Leave the Missionary at 9:15 or 9:30 depending on the amount of volunteers and how soon preparing everything is completed.

3. Reach out to anywhere from 50 to 75 people on his route, which Herman explains is best to complete with five people. However, it is often that he does this alone.

Herman explains that the missionary is in need of volunteers who would like to do this on a regular basis, that way they can continue keeping the missionary alive. His volunteering shift is completed as early as 10:30 in the morning, but the rewarding feel lasts all day.

He believes that the most rewarding thing thus far has been the people he has met and how grateful they are. According to Herman, “It’s just right to try and reach out to so many on the streets that just want to be treated as humans. All it takes is a little hello, how are you doing today.”

Thank you, Herman, for selflessly spending your Saturdays giving back to our community and making the world a better place. 

If interested in learning more about the Missionary, please refer to the youtube link here and if interested in donating, please email Herman at [email protected]

Changing The World One Haircut At A Time

Shima 0 comments 28.09.2015

Today’s ‪#‎MCM title belongs to South Bay’s well-known hair stylist and owner of ‘Get Faded Blown and Nailed Salon’, Shafic Tayara who is making a difference in the world by providing free haircuts to the homeless when he isn’t bringing out the confidence in his own clients.

Shafic, 30, was inspired to learn about the hair business when his father bought him his first pair of clippers at the age of 18. According to Shafic, “I always liked to get creative with different things and drew a lot in high school. Friends would ask me to give them haircuts and they trusted me because of my steady hand from drawing so much.”

His ability to envision an image stimulated his desire to make “bad hair into good hair.”  He knew that he could essentially change a person’s confidence by seeing the bigger picture and using his creativity and artistic approach.

When asked what his technique is, Shafic jokingly said, “If I told you the techniques I use for my haircuts, I would have to kill you.” After some humor, he explained that his technique is to simply keep the client away from the mirror until the cut is complete.

His greatest role model is in fact a memory of his younger self at the age of 17. He recalls trying to create basketball teams without the support of any friends or family. “I was a big loner. I got cut several times and made fun of a lot,” Shafic remembers.

It was then that he realized he may not be able to control the things around him, what people say, think or do, but he was able to control two things. Those two things were his attitude and work ethic and till this day, Shafic believes that is all that has and will matter. Though many years ago, that mental freedom of his younger self still continues to inspire him when the going gets tough.

Shafic opened his own salon called, Get Faded Blown and Nailed earlier this year. His goal was to establish a business where negatives were turned into positives. He explains the meaning behind his salon’s name in that, “The name really means to get your hair faded, hair blown out, and nails done to look good.” In addition, the brand has expanded into a clothing line that was created to promote the message through his logo which is, “Hear, see, and speak no evil.” In result, it was a logo intended to block out negativity.

The brand has expanded far greater than Shafic imagined with hair products called ‘BLWN’ by FBN which is a hair care line including shampoo, conditioner, gel, wax, hair spray, and dry shampoo. Currently, nail polish is being produced and will be provided in the salon soon.

What seems to be most inspiring from Shafic’s career growth was that prior to opening his salon, he cut hair from his very own house- in his garage. Understanding the importance of branding, Shafic invested in a van that many people in the South Bay have seen.

He bought a van, wrapped it black and put his FBN logo on it. He knew that ultimately he would make back his money, so he went fully in. His bold risk was well worth it and his van is now a South Bay icon to many who know and don’t know him yet.

Outside of his busy work life, Shafic is making a difference in the world by providing free haircuts for the homeless. He realized the lack of humanity around the world and he remembers the feeling of not feeling cared or believed in. Those difficult times at a young age influenced his ability to develop a sense of putting himself in other’s shoes. He believes that energy is contagious and he hopes that through his acts, he can inspire others to be nice through acts of kindness.

Shafic believes that others can give back by having an independent mentality. “I believe if others have the mentality that they can change the world then everyone would be out on the streets doing something, not dependent on needing a partner to do so or waiting on others to lead the way,” he explains. For those who are simply too busy to help, Shafic suggests to just be kind to others.

After seeing the faces of the homeless men and women, Shafic feels the most impact. He explains that he always gives the mirror for them to see after he is finished and the appreciation in their faces mean a lot more than money. For Shafic, “Smiles stick to me, money doesn’t.”

Thank you, Shafic for making a difference in the lives of many.